Reclosable carton with severable tuck flap



Dec. 31, 1963 J. A. WARNER- RECLOSABLE CARTON WITH SEVERABLE TUCK FLAP fnz/erzZEr pk a. Zl/czrrzer Filed June 15, 1962 United States Patent Ofiice 3,lli5,@@3 Patented Dec. 31, lSfiB 1 3,116,003 REQLQSABLE CARTON WITH SEVERABLE TUCK FLAP Joseph A. Warner, (Ihicago, Ill., assignor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 15, 1962, Ser. No. 202,727 2 Claims. (Cl. 22933) This invention relates to folding cartons, and more particularly to an improved reclosure feature for folding cartons.

The invention comprehends a paperboard folding carton with a hinged cover having a tuck flap partially secured to the outside of the front wall of the carton, when the carton is formed, and having a releasable portion which may be tucked into the carton behind the front wall upon reclosure of the carton.

It is an object of the invention to provide, in a carton of the type described, a tuck flap arrangement wherein the tuck flap has end portions secured to the carton front wall and a central portion, readily severable from the end portions, which upon separation therefrom can be tucked into the carton behind the front wall upon reclosure.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in a carton of the type described, of a cover tuck flap with end portions disposed on the outside of the cover front wall and secured to the front wall, and to end wall flaps disposed behind the ends of the front wall, by securing means which are disposed within or extend through apertures in the ends of the carton front wall.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide, in a carton of the type described, a tuck flap arrangement wherein only one gluing operation is required to effect both the formation and tie initial closure of the carton.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an assembled carton embodying features of the invention, with portions of the cover structure broken away to show the carton in an open position;

FIGURE 2 is a partial longitudinal vertical section taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the structure of FIGURE 1 with one end portion of the tuck flap removed; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, as seen from the inside, of a blank from which the carton of the other views may be formed.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, and particularly to FlGURE-S l and 4, it will be seen that the erected carton of FIGURE 1 may be formed from the unitary blank B of foldable paperboard illustrated in FIGURE 4.

The blank comprises 21 preferably rectangular bottom wall panel having a rear wall panel l2 hinged to its rear edge along a hinge line i and having a front wall panel 16 hinged to its forward edge along a hinge line 18. A pair of end wall panels 2% are hinged to the opposite end edges of bottom panel it) along a pair of hinge lines 22. Also, a pair of dust flaps 24 may be hinged to the outer edges of respective end wall panels 2! along another pair of hinge lines 26. A pair of end wall closure flaps or glue fiaps 23 may be hinged to the forward edges of respective end wall panels 2% along a pair of hinge lines 29 which are in alignment with the hinge line 18 which interconnects bottom wall panel 10 and front wall panel 16.

At their ends the bottom wall panel 10 and rear wall panel 12 may be interconnected by a pair of bellows members 30, each of which includes a pair of first and second gusset elements 32 and 36 hingedly connected to the related end wall panel 26 and the rear wall panel 12. along hinge lines 343 and 33, respectively, and hingedly attached to each other along a perforated score line 39 which extends diagonally outward from the intersection of score lines 14 and 22..

As best seen in FIGURE 4, when the carton is in erected condition, the front, rear, and end walls upstand from the bottom wall to provide a generally rectangular tray type structure.

A cover panel 4% may be hinged to the upper edge of rear wall panel 12 along a hinge line 42 and may be provided at its forward edge with a depending cover tuck flap 4d hinged thereto along a hinge line 46.

As best seen in FIGURE 1 the cover tuck flap 44 is provided adjacent its ends with a pair of preferably diagonally extending weakened lines of tear 54) which serve to divide the cover tuck flap 44 into a central portion 52 and a pair of preferably triangular end portions 54.

As best seen in FIGURE 3 the front wall panel In, of the carton is provided adjacent its ends with a pair of preferably triangular apertures 56, which are slightly smaller in area than the end portions 54 of the cover tuck flap, and which are located immediately behind and in alignment with the cover tuck fiap end portions when the carton is initially closed, as seen on the left side of FIG- URE 1.

It will be understood that when the carton is erected, as shown in FIGURE 3, end wall panel flaps 28 are folded at right angles to the end wall panels so as to lie immediately behind apertures 56 of the carton front wall with the carton front wall being interposed between the flaps 2.3 and the cover tuck flap 44 in parallel abutting relation with both.

As best seen in FEGURE 3, the non-releasable or end portions 54 of the cover tuck flap are secured to the respective end wall panel flaps 28 and to the end portions of the carton front wall panel 16 in the area of the apertures 56 by means of adhesive 58 applied at the apertures. This novel construction of the carton permits the glue application to be made at the time the carton is formed, loaded, and closed so that only one gluing operation is necessary to perform both the forming and closing or sealing operations. As the bellows members 36 require no glue, the only glue used in the carton is that of adhesive 58, so that no gluing operation need be formed at the time the carton is produced.

In order to open the carton initially, the central or releasable portion 52 of the cover tuck flap is separated from the end portions along the tear lines Ell to permit the cover panel to be swung free and thereby open the carton. Upon reclosure the central portion of the cover tuck flap may be reinserted into the carton behind the carton front wall panel.

If desired, the cover tuck flap central portion 52 may be provided with 21 preferably U-shaped slit 6% adapted to receive and mate with a complementary form tongue 62; in the carton front wall panel 16 to provide a locking means for the cover upon reclosure.

I claim:

1. A top-opening, reclosable carton formed from a unitary blank of foldable paper *oard, comprising:

(a) a bottom wall and opposed pairs of front and rear side walls and end walls upstanding from the bottom wall and hingedly interconnected to form a boxlike structure open at the top;

(b) said front side wall including:

(i) a main panel extending between the end walls;

and

(ii) a pair of connecting flaps hinged to forward edges of respective end wails and extending normal to said end walls in parallel, abutting cngagernent with end portions of the rear surface of said front side wall main panel;

(c) a cover panel hinged to the upper edge of the rear side wall;

(d) a reclosable tuck flap hinged to and depending from the forward edge of said cover panel and dis posed in parallel abutting engagement with the front surface of said main panel when the carton is in unopened condition;

(e) said tuck flap member being divided, by a pair of laterally spaced, vertically extending, upwardly diverging weakened lines of tear, into a generally trapezoidal central tuck flap and a pair of generally triangular end securing flaps;

(7) said front side Wail main panel end portions hav ing generally triangular openings extending therethro-ugh in aiigrunent with said connecting and securing flaps; and

(g) adhesive securing means in said openings connecting the respective connecting and securing flaps, so that upon the separation of the tuck flap from the end securing flaps the front side wall and end walls of the carton will be maintained in a rigid condition by said securing means.

2. A top-opening, reclsoable carton formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, comprising:

(a) a bottom Wall and opposed pairs of front and rear side waits and end walls upstanding from the bottom wall and hingedly interconnected to form a box-like structure openat the top;

(1)) a pair of connectingTfl-aps hinged to the forward edges of respective end walls and extending normal to said end walls in parallel, abutting engagement with end portions of the rear surface of said front side wall main panel;

(0) a cover panel hinged to the upper edge of the rear side wall;

((1) a reclosable tuck flap hinged to and depending from the forward edge of said cover panel and disposed in parallel abutting engagement with the front surface of said front side wall when the carton is in unopened condition;

(c) said tuck flap member being divided, by a pair of laterally spaced vertically extending weakened lines of tear, into a central tucii flap and a pair of end securing flaps;

(f) said first side wall main panel end portions having openings extending theret'nrough in alignment with said connecting and securing flaps; and

(g) adhesive sect: 'ng means in said openings connecting the respective connecting and securing flaps, so that upon the separation of the tuck flap from the end securing flaps the front and end walls of the carton will be maintained in a rigid condition by said securing means.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 837,324 Mitchell Dec. 4, 1906 1,383,735 McGurn July 5, 1921 2,014,335 Kilrner Sept. 10, 1935 3,019,958 Asrnan Feb. 6, 1962 

1. A TOP-OPENING, RECLOSABLE CARTON FORMED FROM A UNITARY BLANK OF FOLDABLE PAPERBOARD, COMPRISING: (A) A BOTTOM WALL AND OPPOSED PAIRS OF FRONT AND REAR SIDE WALLS AND END WALLS UPSTANDING FROM THE BOTTOM WALL AND HINGEDLY INTERCONNECTED TO FORM A BOXLIKE STRUCTURE OPEN AT THE TOP; (B) SAID FRONT SIDE WALL INCLUDING: (I) A MAIN PANEL EXTENDING BETWEEN THE END WALLS; AND (II) A PAIR OF CONNECTING FLAPS HINGED TO FORWARD EDGES OF RESPECTIVE END WALLS AND EXTENDING NORMAL TO SAID END WALLS IN PARALLEL, ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH END PORTIONS OF THE REAR SURFACE OF SAID FRONT SIDE WALL MAIN PANEL; (C) A COVER PANEL HINGED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE REAR SIDE WALL; (D) A RECLOSABLE TUCK FLAP HINGED TO AND DEPENDING FROM THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID COVER PANEL AND DISPOSED IN PARALLEL ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FRONT SURFACE OF SAID MAIN PANEL WHEN THE CARTON IS IN UNOPENED CONDITION; (E) SAID TUCK FLAP MEMBER BEING DIVIDED, BY A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED, VERTICALLY EXTENDING, UPWARDLY DIVERGING WEAKENED LINES OF TEAR, INTO A GENERALLY TRAPEZOIDAL CENTRAL TUCK FLAP AND A PAIR OF GENERALLY TRIANGULAR END SECURING FLAPS; (F) SAID FRONT SIDE WALL MAIN PANEL END PORTIONS HAVING GENERALLY TRIANGULAR OPENINGS EXTENDING THERETHROUGH IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID CONNECTING AND SECURING FLAPS; AND (G) ADHESIVE SECURING MEANS IN SAID OPENINGS CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE CONNECTING AND SECURING FLAPS, SO THAT UPON THE SEPARATION OF THE TUCK FLAP FROM THE END SECURING FLAPS THE FRONT SIDE WALL AND END WALLS OF THE CARTON WILL BE MAINTAINED IN A RIGID CONDITION BY SAID SECURING MEANS. 